Fruit-In-The-Middle Muffins

Here’s a vegan muffin, perfect for breakfast, that is completely fruit sweetened.

Yield: 9 muffins

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil

1½ cups apple juice

3 tablespoons fruit puree or fruit-juice-sweetened preserves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center, add oil and apple juice, and stir gently but thoroughly until evenly moistened.

Divide half of the batter between 9 oiled or paper-lined muffin cups. Place a teaspoon of fruit puree or preserves in center of batter. Divide the remaining batter evenly among the muffin cups to cover fruit. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out without batter.

You can find hundreds ofvegan and vegetarian breakfast ideas,from everyday to fancy in The Good Breakfast Book by Nikki and David Goldbeck (Ceres Press), available at a special price at Healthy Highways.*